How a Reverse Osmosis (RO) System Gives You Safer Drinking Water
Water is essential to your health. But it’s easy to assume your tap water is automatically safe. In reality, “legal” and “safe” aren’t the same thing. Federal limits on tap water contaminants haven’t been meaningfully updated in almost 20 years. Meanwhile, new research keeps showing what’s actually safe to drink.
How safe is your drinking water?
The Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database is a free tool. Enter your zip code, and it shows exactly what’s in your local water supply. It’s common to find water that meets legal standards but still contains contaminants well above the levels EWG considers safe.
The good news: you can filter most of these contaminants out yourself. Basic activated carbon filters, like a Brita pitcher, catch some of them. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) system is by far the most effective option for whole-house filtration.
What is a Reverse Osmosis (RO) System?
An RO system is a filtration unit connected to your sink, refrigerator, or both. It gives you clean, great-tasting water and ice on demand. The system works by forcing unfiltered water through a semipermeable membrane under pressure. Clean water then flows to your faucet or fridge line. The filtered-out waste, called brine, drains away with the rest of your wastewater.
How does an RO System work?
The semipermeable membrane is the heart of the system — it’s fine enough to filter out even the smallest contaminants. Most systems also add pre-filters and post-filters for extra water quality, typically in 3, 4, or 5 stages:
- Sediment filter: removes larger particles like dirt, dust, and rust. This matters especially if an aging water heater is introducing rust or sediment into your hot water.
- Carbon filter: reduces chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other contaminants that cause bad taste or odor.
- Semi-permeable membrane: filters out nearly everything else.
Filtered water then flows into a small storage tank. RO systems filter slowly, and it can take up to a minute to produce just a few ounces. The tank keeps a ready supply on hand so you’re never waiting on the system in real time.
What are the benefits of an RO System?
- Genuinely safer water: not just water that clears the legal minimum
- Better taste: many homeowners prefer it to both tap and bottled water
- Lower cost over time: cheaper than buying bottled water long-term
- Better for the environment: cuts down on single-use plastic bottles
- Low-maintenance: easy upkeep and installs discreetly under your kitchen sink
Without an RO system, your realistic alternatives are bottled water or lower-effectiveness options like pitcher or faucet-mounted filters. Both are less thorough, and bottled water gets expensive over time.
RO System vs. Water Softener: What’s the Difference?
These get confused often, but they solve different problems. A water softener doesn’t remove harmful contaminants. Instead, it removes calcium and magnesium so water is gentler on clothes, dishes, and skin. An RO system does soften water somewhat, as a byproduct of filtration. But it’s not a substitute for a softener if you have genuinely hard water, above 7 grains. Hard water wears down the RO membrane faster, meaning more frequent replacements.
If your water is hard, pairing both systems works well. The softener removes damaging minerals before water reaches the RO system. The RO system then filters out the sodium the softener adds. Together, they give you high-quality water for both drinking and everyday use.
Ready to install an RO System?
Contact Reliant Plumbing to schedule an RO system installation. Or explore our whole-house water filtration options if you’re considering filtration for your entire home.